Mass Effect 2 Cut Characters Explained

One of the most iconic moments in the entire Mass Effect franchise is the suicide mission in Mass Effect 2. Alongside a dozen recruited heroes, players have to put it all on the line in a life-or-death mission, where every mistake is costly. It's one of the highlights of the original trilogy, one that deeply impacted Mass Effect 2's ending and transition into ME3.

Of course, choosing the 12 characters was not so simple. Recently, BioWare's Mac Walters discussed the character concepts the studio came up with in the early stages of the game, and he highlighted how these characters couldn't just be disposable/expected to die. Each character would leave some impact, and choosing them from a ton of concepts and ideas had to be difficult. Some of these characters were worked into others, some were fully returning characters, and some just didn't make it into the game. Online, several of these have drawn attention such as the crazy Quarian King, but breaking down the full discussion, here is every character concept we spotted.

First, it should be noted that the character concept document shown in the video seemingly skipped a few, meaning there's likely more Mass Effect 2 cut content and characters out there than just this. Nonetheless, it's interesting how so many concepts were thought up, how these characters were boiled down to 12, and how these characters came to interact within those who, indeed, made it into the franchise.

The Fallen Paragon - This would have been a character of any sex or race in Mass Effect, having been a doctor who left a high-ranking position due to some conflict. Discovered in a "hive of scum and villainy," yet another Star Wars reference related to Mass Effect 2, Shepard could influenced this character down a Paragon or renegade path by right the wrong or taking revenge.

The Mad Bomber - During the Suicide Mission, this character's explosive capabilities would have come into play, but it seems it would have been dependent upon Shepard completing a specific mission to acquire a certain explosive.

The Convict - A 30-year old male human, the Convict would have been one of the worst killers in the galaxy, one Shepard would have to break out of a high security prison. Notably, elements of the Mad Bomber and The Convict can be found in Zaeed and Jack in Mass Effect.

The Techno-hippie - A 45-year old Salarian, he would have been a technologically savant with a "classic stoner" depiction.

Salarian Assassin - This concept was a "top pick" and a more developed concept from the Salarian Avenger. This character is described as similar to Inigo Montoya in the Princess Bride, with the character potentially ditching Shepard before the Suicide Mission in pursuit of their target. This decision would have depended on loyalty, sounding a lot like Dragon Age Origins' Zevran and his potential backstab in Denerim--based on his relationship with the protagonist.

Quarian Infiltrator - A more detailed concept seemingly evolving from the Quarian Rogue, this character would have been Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid--in one character. This character would have been one of Mass Effect's romances, one that would be called off if Shepard became too renegade. Interestingly enough, elements of this character would be worked into the "Archangel" story arc and thus worked into Mass Effect 2's Garrus Vakarian.